Vladimir, Volyn Province, May 12, 2022
Photo: єпархія.укр
The Vladimir-Volyn Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church festively celebrated the 1,030th anniversary of the founding of the Vladimir-Volyn See on Tuesday.
The establishment of the diocese is traditionally dated to 992, soon after the foundation of the city of Vladimir-Volynsky by Prince Vladimir (Vasily).
The celebration comes as the Volyn Provincial Rada has registered a draft decision to cancel all charters and registrations of the Orthodox Church in the Volyn Province, and to appeal to the state Rada to ban the Church throughout the entire country. The deputies will also pressure the hierarchs of the Volyn and Vladimir-Volyn Dioceses to leave the Church and join the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”
Nevertheless, the festive Divine Liturgy on the feast of the Synaxis of the Volyn Saints was presided over at the Holy Dormition Cathedral by His Eminence Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl, the abbot of the Kiev Caves Lavra, with the concelebration of the local hierarch, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir, and several other hierarchs and clerics, the Vladimir-Volyn Diocese reports.
Photo: Facebook
Following the reading of the Gospel, Met. Pavel delivered a homily on the labors and exploits of the Volyn saints, especially St. Stephen of Vladimir-Volyn, who was tonsured at the Kiev Caves, who blessed his disciples to all be in spiritual unity. His Eminence thus called upon all to remain in the canonical Orthodox Church, and “thus be found worthy to reach the quiet haven of eternal and blessed life.”
During the service, special prayers were offered for peace in Ukraine and its long-suffering people. Following the service, a procession was held around the cathedral.
Met. Pavel conveyed to all the blessings and greetings of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine.
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